4/5 FS Thunderbolt 1003A Fire Siren Test BTS, Alternate Wail, Growl, & Manual Hi-Lo, St. Paul, NE

Enjoy this behind the scenes footage of not only an alternate wail test, but also the first ever test of this siren in STEADY HI-LO! The test button is wired like it's supposed to be which is why the siren growled in hi-lo so we didn't technically need to open the panels, but I decided that would be more fun and it would allow us to film it going off behind the scenes in hi-lo. It's not everyday that you get permission to set off a very special siren, that's for sure!
This should go without saying, but since I am aware of this siren being tampered with previously, DO NOT OPEN SIREN PANELS OR ADJUST SETTINGS WITHOUT PERMISSION! I was told by jcb19 at SirenCon 2023 that someone managed to sneak in and mess with the chopper level and time delay settings since the first time I heard this siren in person. As cool as it may seem to be able to alter a siren, let me tell you, it's not. It is called UNAUTHORIZED TAMPERING with a LIFE SAFETY SYSTEM and can lead to criminal charges. On the other hand, setting off a siren outside of test time when there's no emergency can constitute creating a false emergency which is a FELONY CRIME! This includes sirens that you own personally. It is no different than calling 911 with no emergency/prank calling them. We had permission from both the fire department and county dispatch to set off the siren after its usual test and knew what we were doing. We did not adjust the chopper level (frankly I love how Thunderbolts sound on level 7) or do anything other than setting it off manually.
Siren Information:
Siren: FS Thunderbolt 1003A
Signal: Alternate wail, growl, & alternate steady (hi-lo)
Usage: Primarily a fire siren, but also doubles as a tornado siren since the county can activate it.
Motors: Chopper: 2HP single phase; blower: 7.5HP 3 phase
Chopper: 4/5 port
Location: St. Paul Volunteer Fire Department in St. Paul, NE.
County: Howard
Tested: Every 1st of the month at 1:00pm (alert), every 15th of the month at 1:00pm (alternate wail).
Testing time on 07/15/2024: 1:01pm (alternate wail), 1:05pm (hi-lo)
Other notes: St. Paul has this 1003, 2 RSH-10As, and 1 2001-SRN and they're all relatively close together so the town is well covered.

[@carolcanada6340]

Thunderbolt is my favorite siren!

[@Miles_502]

0:24 H U R R I C A N E

[@TheChachLINY]

Put it in da books. First ever in service 4/5 hi-Lo. Congratulations. 1:55 i’m addicted to replaying that it sounds amazing. Imagine this thing in pulse-wail or chopper level 1 o_O Awesome video

[@BusMaster99]

​​​@@TheChachLINY -I'll see what I can do in 2026. Might temporarily change the chopper level for the hi-lo test. Hopefully the high tone solenoid is working properly by then.- Edit: Chopper level is to stay on 7 no matter what.

[@TheChachLINY]

@@BusMaster99Dude, that would be awesome. Would make my year because i’ve always wanted to hear a steady hi-lo on level 1. It would sound incredible with all those echoes. I hope that can happen in 2026!

[@BusMaster99]

@@TheChachLINY Do you still have discord?

[@centeral_mo_sirens]

bro i cant stop playing this part 1:46

[@Supersonic_Sirens_TX]

Holy crap that sounds amazing!

[@CallistoBetch]

I can smell “SIrEn HeAD oMG 1003 sIErn hEaD” comments coming 2:50 I love this part lmao

[@BusMaster99]

Yeah I was a little fast on my feet there.

[@CallistoBetch]

@@BusMaster99I’ve never heard it do steady Hilo

[@BusMaster99]

@@CallistoBetch Well now you have!

[@trainsandsirensofilinmiwi2080]

Awesome!

[@J19_vlogger74]

Nice!

[@Am_ati14]

*DAYUMMM YOU LUCKY*

[@BusMaster99]

@@Am_ati14 I know! Hearing it in hi-lo had me excited the whole time!

[@epicvibes8009]

Yo im excited

[@epicvibes8009]

This sounded sick!! First time it's ever done hi lo!

[@WisconsinTornadoSirens]

NICE! It sounds amazing and classic with the radio tones tyler shaw had on these saint paul videos back in 2014, 2015, and 2017. Sucks how the timer didn't work and the RCMS Had to be used. Overall, nice video

[@BusMaster99]

​@@WisconsinTornadoSirens Wdym the timer didn't work? It's set up to do alternate wail when the fire button is pressed or it's remotely activated by county dispatch. Hi-lo can only be achieved by doing what we did or by holding test. We decided on using the RCM panel switches so we could go outside the building while it was going off.

[@TylerShawWx]

⁠the steady fire cam just isn't installed. It is in the RCM3, you can literally see it in the video.

[@R4nd0ms0meb0dy]

Hey i have a question is one of the solenoids broken cuz it sounds like it is

[@BusMaster99]

@@R4nd0ms0meb0dy Yeah it is. I would have put that in the title, but it would have been too long. I did it in my other videos of this.

[@liamwaldrup]

Whos mini hurricane was that?

[@Tornado-projects]

I’ve been really wanting to see a thunderbolt siren in my life, and I made one out of cardboard. The thunderbolt make me think it’s a real siren😭😭

[@HSETM]

Is the solenoid spring starting to die or is the solenoid starting to stick badly?

[@centeral_mo_sirens]

and why would a mini hurricane be on the blower?

[@BusMaster99]

Because why not?

[@rhyanandujar8173]

0:25 i saw a mini hurricane 130

[@BusMaster99]

@@rhyanandujar8173 Correct.

[@FederalSignal2T22B]

Haha funny tiny hurricane Where do i buy it

[@Mariaaguello]

Its actually 3d printed​@@FederalSignal2T22B

[@rhyanandujar8173]

Ok

[@centeral_mo_sirens]

but is it standing on a 45 taper pole?

[@Vigilance108]

Is the fire chief aware that this is the only 4/5 port 1003 currently in service?

[@BusMaster99]

@@Vigilance108 It's actually not. There is another one in University Park, IL, but he does know this is one of two.

[@centeral_mo_sirens]

whats the blower type it looks like a 5M

[@BusMaster99]

@@centeral_mo_sirens This one is a 4M 3 phase.

[@roselamellion5910]

But I like siren allertor too😊

[@Model2TFan]

@Busmaster 99 When the Thunderbolt 1003 Will get fixed solenoids can you request to chief to do pulse Wail but using rcm panels? and also will you go back to saint paul if the thunderbolt is fixed?

[@Model2TFan]

By the way when I always come here this siren always do alternate Wail this was the first ever time to do Hilo but not alternate wail!

[@BusMaster99]

@@Model2TFan Hi-lo was a request. It can only be done a select number of ways since the AF Timer has a wail fire cog.

[@useridk58777]

​@@Model2TFanJust wait till they clean the collector rings. Its not broken solenoid

[@centeral_mo_sirens]

why dose it sound like this??? 0:12

[@BusMaster99]

@@centeral_mo_sirens Bad solenoid connection due to fouled up collector rings.

[@centeral_mo_sirens]

@@BusMaster99 oh ok i see

[@centeral_mo_sirens]

but i know the alternate wail on this thing is amazing but why did they do alternate wail as the fire signal they should of done hi low

[@BusMaster99]

@@centeral_mo_sirens The siren is configured to run alternate wail when the fire button is pressed. Hi-lo was a request test. The night before, I had asked the chief for permission to set it off again after the normal test and it was greenlighted.

[@centeral_mo_sirens]

@@BusMaster99 ohhh

[@centeral_mo_sirens]

not going to lie next time u go here u should ask the fire cheif to open the blower case

[@BusMaster99]

@@centeral_mo_sirens Thing is, I don't know if I want to go here again. After being falsely accused of tampering with the siren and banging on the FD's door, it's really taken a toll on my mental health.

[@centeral_mo_sirens]

@@BusMaster99 oh

[@MayangGurung-bg3vu]

I'm getting pralaized

[@BusMaster99]

@@MayangGurung-bg3vu Why?

[@MayangGurung-bg3vu]

Because I ate too much

[@roselamellion5910]

Bruh shut up this comment pls but this siren is alert type😮

[@Extremely_crazy_toaster_light]

this is the siren from this vid kzbin.info/www/bejne/jF6piIeHjt97lZY

[@BusMaster99]

@@Extremely_crazy_toaster_light Correct. I was one of the first to watch that video. 10 years later, I got to set it off.

[@Extremely_crazy_toaster_light]

@@BusMaster99 very cool

[@centeral_mo_sirens]

a thunderbolt with out a stand pipe looks better i dont like it with a stand pipe

[@ACA_Allertor]

I just know that there’s gonna be “sIrEn hEaD oMg 1003 iS sIReN hEad RuN” comments from little kids

[@centeral_mo_sirens]

it dosent sound the same as siren head bcause of the solonoid and the sound of it is a modulator not a thunderbolt they are very defrent even if they can do alternate wail

[@ACA_Allertor]

@@centeral_mo_sirens don’t even know grammar

[@kenoshacountysirens5234]

Awesome!

[@BusMaster99]

@@kenoshacountysirens5234 Thanks! Feels good to be among the first to hear steady hi-lo on a 4/5 1003.